The Dinner Creations Cookbook by Diane Krause – Review & Giveaway

The Dinner Creations Cookbook – Book Review

If you’re like most people, there are probably few things you look forward to more each day than a delicious, home-cooked meal. However, when you’re the chef – you know how challenging it can be to find the time to plan and prepare a variety of delicious meals each day in addition to all the other things you do!

That’s why I’m so excited to introduce you to The Dinner Creations Cookbook by Diane Krause. If you long for the nutrition and nurture that home-cooking brings – but need a hand when it comes to pulling those meals together – this cookbook is for you!

Diane is the former owner of Dinner Creations – a meal assembly business that operated in Friendswood, Texas from 2004 to 2008. The Dinner Creations Cookbook contains more than 130 of Diane’s favorite, family friendly recipes that she gathered from her Dinner Creations days to share with us!

There are several things that I like about this cookbook:

All of the recipes in this book are designed for easy preparation.

Each recipe contains instructions for cooking and serving, and for making ahead and freezing for your too-busy-to-cook days.

Clear instructions for safe defrosting and working with frozen foods are provided.

The cookbook is 8 ½ by 11 inches in size. Each recipe is a full page, which makes the instructions easy to see!

You’ll find printable freezer labels on Diane’s website!

The Dinner Creations Cookbook contains a wide variety of recipes in the following categories:

Breakfast

Pasta

Poultry

Pork

Beef

Seafood

Soup

Side Dishes

Desserts

All of the recipes are classics your entire family will love.

Two of my favorite recipes in The Dinner Creations Cookbook are the Baked Spaghetti Bolognese and the Back-To-School Oatmeal Bars. As a thank you for stopping by Create With Joy and visiting us on Diane’s Virtual Book Tour, we’re providing copies of both recipes so you can make them for your family before you purchase the book!

If you’re a mom in a busy household, The Dinner Creations Cookbook is definitely a book you will want to add to your cookbook shelf! This cookbook would also be great for working couples and those just learning to cook!

Cook ground beef in a large skillet until beef is cooked through and no longer pink, breaking up any large pieces. Drain the meat, then return it to the skillet and stir in the marinara sauce and sugar. Set aside.

To assemble, spread 2 cups meat sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the cooked pasta, then sprinkle over 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Top with 2 cups meat sauce, the remaining pasta, and another 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Cover with the remaining 2 cups meat sauce, then sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.

FREEZER PREPARATION: Prepare casserole as directed, omitting the cheese topping. Measure last 1/4 cup of Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses into a plastic sandwich bag; seal. Lay a sheet of deli paper or waxed paper over casserole, then place bag of cheese on top. Seal entire pan well and label.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, or line with foil.

Cream softened butter with sugars.

Add egg and vanilla extract and mix well.

Stir together the flour and baking soda, then add to butter mixture.

Stir in oats, chips and raisins.

Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool in pan, then cut into bars.

FREEZER PREPARATION: Mix batter as directed and spread in pan; do not bake. Cover tightly, label and freeze.

About Diane Krause

Diane Krause is a Southern girl who began cooking and baking at a very young age. She’s the former owner-operator of Dinner Creations, and still enjoys sharing Jalapeno-Stuffed Chicken and King Ranch Chicken with those she loves. Diane currently works as a freelance writer and editor. She’s the author of a short inspirational book for writers, 25 Ways to Create Classic Characters Readers Will Love, and is currently at work on her second cookbook.

The Dinner Creations Cookbook Giveaway

As part of the festivities, Diane is offering one lucky winner a Cook’s Gift Basket which will include a print copy of The Dinner Creations Cookbook and a variety of other kitchen goodies and culinary treats. To participate, submit your entries through the Rafflecopter form. Please note that this giveaway is being hosted through the Virtual Book Tour Cafe and not through Create With Joy.

I’m like that, Katrina, which is why I have trouble planning meals in advance – I like having a full scale menu to choose from at all times! 🙂
My husband loves burritos and could live on them around the clock as well!

Good morning! Thank you so much for hosting me, and featuring my cookbook.

I’m glad you’ve enjoyed trying out the recipes. When soup weather arrives, be sure to try out the Chicken and Dumplings recipe. If you have cooked chicken on hand, it is super easy to make, and delicious. When we had Dinner Creations open, we literally could not keep enough Chicken and Dumplings on hand — they flew out the door.

It’s nice to be here, and I look forward to meeting your Create With Joy readers.

When my husband and I cook, we always try to cook en masse so that we save time and energy (and have good food for a rainy day!)
I appreciate that your book will support us with that goal and provide us with many wonderful recipes to add try and love!

Picking my favorite meal is like picking my favorite book or child for that matter, impossible!! I love anything spicy..Mexican, Indian and Asian foods are my favorite. Of course, every week I just gotta have pizza, fried eggplant pizza is my favorite.

This cookbook is just what the doctor ordered with all my meetings starting up and less time to cook plus the request for pot luck meals. The idea of freezing meals ahead is a winner; so I’m entering the contest for this cookbook with my fingers crossed.

Col — I’ll just let you know that many of these dishes don’t take up a lot of room in the freezer. While some need to be packaged in baking pans, many of them have the components of the dish packaged in Ziploc bags, which can lay flat and are very stackable.

I’m always looking for simple dinner recipes, but unfortunately I don’t have much freezer space – I share my kitchen (and fridge!) with two other roommates. I’m sure some of these would be perfect for a weeknight dinner party, though!

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